Golf, Nordic walking, and regular walking are 3 Sports that allow the brain to rejuvenate

To boost their cognitive abilities, seniors should regularly engage in golf, Nordic walking, or regular walking, according to a scientific study.

Previous studies had already shown that seniors who engage in moderate physical activity regularly reduce their risk of death. However, a new study published in the British Medical Journal asserts that the benefits of sports extend beyond that, as they also enhance cognitive abilities.

In this study, reported by Topsanté magazine, researchers from three universities (Eastern Finland, Edinburgh, and Zurich) demonstrated that certain sports activities improve the thinking and attention capacities of seniors. The three activities that individuals over 60 should engage in regularly are golf, walking, and Nordic walking—a outdoor, endurance, and aerobic sport involving brisk walking with specific walking poles, typically made of composite material. This sport, popular in Scandinavian countries, can be practiced in both summer and winter.

For this 5-day randomized crossover study, researchers recruited 25 golfers, men and women, with an average age of 69 and in good health. They had to perform various physical exercises: an 18-hole golf course, a 6 km Nordic walking course, and a 6 km regular walking course, in a real environment and at their own pace. Cognitive differences were then analyzed within the groups.

The test results show that these active seniors exhibited a significant improvement in their thinking abilities compared to those who do not engage in physical exercises.

A single session of any of the three exercises improved lower cognitive functions such as attention and information processing speed. However, more demanding cognitive functions, such as the ability to shift attention from one thing to another, were boosted only by Nordic walking and regular walking sessions.

Further research is now needed with larger samples and over longer periods to examine whether the improvements in cognitive abilities are sustainable.